


Dark Corners

by sunlightdances (glowinghorizons)



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: F/M, Romance, Secret Relationship, Wartime Romance, Women in the Military
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27226348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glowinghorizons/pseuds/sunlightdances
Summary: An outside perspective on the relationship between Speirs and Easy’s favorite female medic - set in The Last Patrol.
Relationships: Ronald Speirs/Original Female Character(s), Ronald Speirs/Reader
Kudos: 19





	Dark Corners

**Author's Note:**

> This popped into my head and wouldn’t leave. Special thanks to the BoB styling team for making Matt Settle’s hair like that in the last few episodes.

Lipton doesn’t think he’s ever going to get off this couch. For one - he’s miserable. Two - it’s the most comfortable piece of furniture he’s ever sat on. More likely, anything after the frozen foxhole he’d been stuck in feels like a cloud, but still. 

He’s trying to juggle some paperwork and listening to Luz yammer on. Webster is back, and so is a Lieutenant so fresh Lip can practically feel the nervous energy vibrating off him. 

Speirs comes in like a whirlwind, and she’s right on his tail, like always. It makes Lipton smile, though he tries to hide his amusement. He doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of either of their wrath, but he supposes he already is. He feels her gaze narrow on him like a heat-seeking missile.

“You’re supposed to be in bed,” she mutters under her breath at the same time that Speirs takes a few strides towards him, exhaling hard.

“For Christ’s sake, will you go back in the back and sack out? There’s beds back there with fresh sheets.” 

Lipton looks between the two of them, both with their hands nearly on their hips, her eyebrows raised challengingly. _Mom and Dad indeed_ , he thinks, disguising his amusement with a cough. 

He lifts the paper off his lap. “Just trying to be useful.” 

“Luz can finish that.” She says, no preamble, and George’s head snaps up, frowning. 

“Hey!” 

She looks at him, almost daring at him to say anything else, and George rolls his eyes. 

“Christ. Give it here, Lip.” 

She smiles sweetly at Luz as he crosses the room, and he rolls his eyes again, but a smile is growing, the way it does on anyone who crosses paths with their third medic, a girl who’s become like a little sister to them all. 

Well, most of them. 

Lipton gets to his feet slowly and accepts her help as he shuffles towards the back of the house, finally admitting to himself that he needs to rest. Her hands are gentle but sure as she helps him lay down. 

“Keep those boots on,” she instructs, “I know it’s uncomfortable but better to be prepared in case of shelling.” Her cool hand presses against his forehead. “I’ll see if I can get you anything for that cough. Your fever feels better.” 

He nods. “Thanks for looking out for me,” he says. 

“Like I was going to just leave you out there. Can’t trust any of you to take care of yourselves…” she says, more to herself than to him, busying herself tucking the blankets around him. 

Her attention is drawn to Speirs when he comes in slowly, nodding to himself when he sees that Lipton is finally in a bed. 

“Get some rest. I’ll need your debrief later,” Speirs says. “I have to deal with this Lieutenant–” 

“Wait,” she says, stopping him by tugging on the sleeve of his coat. 

Lip tries not to eavesdrop, he really does, but they’re _right there_ , and it seems like they’ve basically forgotten anyone else is around, which is becoming a bad habit for the two of them. 

“Are you warm enough?” She asks quietly, tugging on his scarf. “I heard you coughing–” 

“I’m fine.” 

She huffs, and Lip about jolts when he hears an answering low chuckle. Christ, when is the last time any of them _laughed_? When is the last time he saw _Speirs_ crack a smile? Ever?

“You worry too much.” 

“As if you weren’t bullying Lip to go to bed five minutes ago.” 

A few shuffling feet, a rustling of coats. Lipton looks away even though he can barely see them, shrouded in a dark corner as they are. Still. He shouldn’t be seeing this, first of all, and second – God only knows when any of them are going to have moments like this. 

He suspects Winters is aware that the two of them are like moths to a flame around each other. Nixon definitely does. 

It’s not that no one cares - he suspects the Lieutenant outside would be scandalized if he saw them now - it’s just that at this point in the war… Winters is certainly not going to deny either of them a shred of happiness as long as they’re both doing their jobs and not letting their emotions get in the way. 

After everything they’d just been through… Lipton remembers the look on her face after the attack on Foy, when she’d had to stand by and watch Speirs run straight into enemy territory and back again. And Speirs’ expression when the sniper started firing and she nearly threw herself right in harm’s way to try to get to the fallen men. 

It’s obvious they care about each other. They care for each other like all of Easy does, bonded by time and the chaos of war. But they also care for each other in that deep, deep way that Lipton has only experienced with his own wife. He recognizes the look in Speirs’ eyes when he thinks he’s being subtle. 

“I suppose you’re needed the aid station.” 

“Roe will send a search party if I don’t get there soon.” 

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Speirs says. “The patrol–” 

“Just be careful.” A soft breath, and then quieter, “Please.” 

“You too.” 

Lipton allows himself a glance. Foreheads pressed together. She tucks his scarf in tighter around his neck. 

A loaded gaze between the two of them, and then she’s gone, tone totally different as she jabs at Luz on her way out, and greets the new Lieutenant pleasantly. 

Speirs meets Lipton’s eyes. “We shouldn’t have– sorry for…” 

Lipton is already shaking his head. “I won’t say anything.” He meets his CO’s eyes. “Just– take care of her. God knows she does a poor job of looking after herself even though she manages to wrangle all of us.” 

Speirs’ lips tilt up at the edges. “Yeah. She’s like that.” 

When he’s alone, Lip finally lets himself close his eyes. He’d like to sleep for a hundred hours. He thinks of his wife and their tearful goodbye before he shipped out after his last leave. 

He thinks of foreheads pressed together and quiet words whispered in dark corners, and he thinks that if Ron Speirs and the woman who’s become like a sister to Lip and the rest of them can find some happiness in this godforsaken war, then there’s hope for them all. 


End file.
